Lexus UX
Lexus hosted the world debut of the new Lexus UX at the 2018 Geneva Motor show, a free-spirited crossover crafted expressly for the modern urban explorer who seeks a fresh, contemporary and dynamic take on a luxury lifestyle.
Chika Kako, Chief Engineer of the UX said: "Right from the start, I focused on the target customer - mid-30s, millennials, men and women - and tried to understand how they would expect a premium compact vehicle to change their lives and enable new experiences. That's what led us to the basic vehicle concept for the UX of Creative Urban Explorer - a new genre of crossover.
"Design is still the main purchase reason for every car, it is the design that promises to the customer what the car can deliver. With the UX the design team have created a style which delivers the strong safe feeling that sets crossovers apart from hatchbacks, but combined it with a very dynamic dimension.
"We also focused on giving the UX a distinctive driving feel that would resonate with the customer. I wanted to overturn the image of a crossover with a high body that requires careful manoeuvring and offer a car with nimble performance and excellent manoeuvrability that make it as easy to drive as a hatchback."
The Lexus UX is a new gateway vehicle for Lexus, it is rich in the qualities that define the brand: brave design, superior craftsmanship, exhilarating performance and imaginative technology.
Led by Chief Engineer Kako and Chief Designer Tetsuo Miki, the development teams have worked closely to produce a car in which the exterior and interior appear almost seamlessly linked. Powerful bodywork, notable for its impressively flared front and rear wings, clothes a cabin that provides a driver-focused cockpit and an open, relaxing space for passengers. While still offering a commanding view from the steering wheel, the UX offers a driving position that makes the crossover feel more like a responsive hatchback to drive, rather than an SUV.
The Lexus UX further marks a series of technical innovations, including the first use of the new global architecture platform named GA-C, which delivers fundamental high structural rigidity and a low centre of gravity, thus securing excellent ride quality and stability. New powertrains are also deployed for the first time: a new 2.0-litre petrol engine that reaps the performance and fuel economy benefits of high thermal efficiency; and a new mid-power, fourth generation self-charging hybrid system.
BRAVE DESIGN
Lexus has produced a design for the UX that expresses the sense of security that is expected of a crossover, but which equally communicates agility and a fun-to-drive quality with sleek, attractively condensed appearance. The result is a model with a unique identity in its segment that makes a strong and appealing design statement. There was close collaboration among all team members, resulting in a harmonious shape that almost seamlessly links the inside and outside of the car."
Exterior design
The aim for the Lexus UX was not to conform to the established, solid crossover look, but to achieve a compact design that is both strong and stylish, breaking with the conventions of the segment to deliver something more distinctive and dynamic.
This design approach can be seen at work in the way the front and rear wings flare strongly outwards in relation to the car's basic form, which flows out from the lines of the spindle grille to envelop the cabin. The meticulously formed exterior surfaces are simple but captivating, expressing strength and dynamism.
At the front, the arrangement of the headlights and the spindle grille are incorporated into a deep, strong shape created by the hood and bumper to generate a sense of security. At the rear, a condensed styling treatment contrasts sharply with the flared wings to emphasise the UX's dynamic and strong crossover qualities.
Details include daytime running lights, arranged in an arrowhead motif above the headlights to emphasise the Lexus L-shaped illumination signature. The spindle grille has a new block-shape mesh pattern with individual elements that gradually change in shape as they radiate out from the central Lexus emblem, giving a three-dimensional look that changes according to the angle of view.
The rear combination lamps have an original and advanced design that is not only eye-catching but also aerodynamically efficient while improving vehicle handling. The right and left units are connected by a continuous, single line of light across the back door to give the UX's rear a unique appearance. Formed by a sequence of 120 LEDs, this tapers gently towards the centre, measuring just 3mm thick at its narrowest point. This design is set to become a world-first Lexus signature feature.
Four new aluminium wheel designs have been produced for the UX, with 17 and 18-inch diameters. The five-spoke 17-inch wheels have a world-first aerodynamic design, details of which are given in the Imaginative Technology section below.
Dimensions and packaging
The Lexus UX measures 4,495mm long, 1,520mm high and 1,840mm wide and has a 2,640mm wheelbase. An 870mm couple distance ensures ample space for rear seat passengers, while the load area is a generous 791mm long.
The car's proportions allow for excellent manoeuvrability, with a best-in segment 5.2m turning radius. For the driver, a reduced distance between the hip and heel points gives the feel of driving a hatchback rather than an SUV-type vehicle.
https://www.netcarshow.com/lexus/2019-ux/
